Recent developments in quantum cascade lasers have enabled the development of new sensors for in-situ applications that have so far only been possible with extractive systems. In this work, a sensor is presented using a unique Wavelength Modulation Spectroscopy approach to measure tetrafluoromethane, a strong greenhouse gas. The sensor was characterized in a laboratory environment indicating a long-term detection limit of 20 ppb·m and a short-term value of well below 10 ppb·m. To demonstrate the feasibility of the sensor in a real-world environment, it was installed at an Alcoa aluminum smelter. A co-located Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer allowed direct comparison measurements of both systems. General agreement between the two methods was observed, leading to the conclusion that the developed in-situ quantum cascade laser based sensor has the potential to continuously measure tetrafluoromethane at aluminum smelters.

Read the article by Dr. Peter Geiser et al